Sir, – I was saddened to read of the closure of yet another Dublin institution (Commercial Property, October 31st): the menswear shop, Kennedy McSharry, which had managed to weather previous storms of economic turbulence to carry on in business for no fewer than 123 years.
Having bought pieces over the years in this shop I can honestly say I never found the staff to be anything less than genuinely courteous and helpful. These were real gentlemen who knew their trade inside out and who made every customer feel valued (even if they were only buying as little as a tie or pair of socks). The shop’s longevity could be attributed to customer care and devotion to the business – unlike the hire-and-fire ethos of so many modern emporia.
In this era of crassness and disposability, high-class menswear outfits such as Kennedy McSharry, carrying quality clothing of individual character, are a breath of fresh air, however these have become increasingly fewer in number in our capital city in recent years.
Even before this closure I had often wondered how so many other European cities managed to retain individual shops of character, class and taste while we become overrun by anodyne high street chains selling clothes of little quality or distinction. My conclusion; a lack of innate taste. The reason Kennedy McSharry closed – aside from the greed of exorbitant rents – was dwindling interest among Irish men in neat, conservative clothing. In the land where the tracksuit and “leisurewear” have become elevated to everyday dress, the days of suits, sports coats or a well-cut blazer seem numbered.
For any remaining discerning Dublin gentlemen wishing to dress in a classic style, the closure of Kennedy McSharry is a genuine loss. – Yours, etc,